Seminar on cluster ammunitions
An international seminar on the Convention on cluster ammunition organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and RACVIAC was held in the Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC) from 9th to 11th February.
Convention on the cluster ammunition is considered a very important international achievement, which was signed by 94 countries on the 3rd of December 2008 in Oslo. It is a direct result of the so-called “Oslo process” which began in February 2007, when 46 countries accepted political commitment to agree on a new legally binding instrument aimed to ban cluster munitions by the end of 2008. Further achievement of “Oslo process” was the creation of the international coalition against cluster weapons (Cluster Munitions Coalition), which is very active with their work nowadays.
Republic of Croatia is actively involved from the very beginning of “Oslo process”.
The aim of the seminar was to provide opportunities for direct and active discussion on the latest developments related to the process of signing and ratification of the Convention on cluster munitions, and on a number of efforts directed towards the prohibition of the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of ammunition.
In his speech, State Secretary at the Foreign Ministry PhD Davor Bozinovic said that the Republic of Croatia, as one of the first signatories, strongly supported the Convention on cluster munitions, which it proved by the ratification within six months of its signing.
One of the speakers was the MOD State Secretary Pjer Simunovic who spoke about the destruction of stockpiles of cluster munitions.
The seminar brought together representatives of national ministries of foreign affairs, interior, defence, general staff, government and non-governmental organizations and national centres for de-mining.